A
place may be hip, but what's on the plate? These
40 restaurants are the places to invest in serious
and breathtaking adventures in food and wine.
While we've listed our selections by restaurant,
we're highlighting chefs because, to us, food
always comes first. Naturally, many good chefs
have been omitted, and we apologize for that.
Simply put, these are the restaurants that suit
our tastes!

These
five culinary stars-in-the-making have seen their
mojo rising in the past few years. Among them,
Linton Hopkins has contributed to Atlanta's status
as a top dining destination; Eric Klein has revived
the Beverly Hills icon, Maple Drive; and Koren
Grieveson has taught diners the bliss of a house-made
salami.

Sweet
dreams are made of these...
PASTRY MASTERS
Gone are the days of the molten center chocolate
cake. See what these five
can do for your sweet tooth with popcorn, peanut
foam or chile gelée. Desserts have never
been this creative...

The
rarefied world of fine dining experiences the
occasional hiccup. This year was no exception,
from the culinary tremor in Los Angeles when Alain
Giraud exited Bastide to Sirio Maccioni's pronouncement
in New York that he would relocate Le Cirque 2000.